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THE WALKING DEAD: Season 1 on AMC (avoid comic book spoilers)

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ThLunarian said:
Shane is a jerk, but like the above poster, I also enjoyed it when he destroyed the wife-beater.
I kinda like Shane in the show, I don't know why. I know he's a lying douche (or so it would seem) but I don't mind him.
 
I can't stay mad at Shane - look at that face!

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SpeedingUptoStop said:
I know, right? It's no where near as good so far.

He's compared it to Lost a bunch of times, way before the show was even announced. Damon is also a HUGE fan of the Walking Dead.

The comparison is more tonally, as well as "not really about The Island/Zombies."
 
I really hope,
to convey the fact that nobody in this show is safe from harm
, they
kill off a bunch of people.
Is it bad that I want that?
 
Loving it so far. Definitely my favourite show on TV. Not read the comic, but I've always wanted a zombie apocalypse TV show. I still think the premier was the best but the two episodes following have been very solid and full of suspense. Can't wait for the next episode.
 
DeSo said:
IT'S THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE but I'd better not forget to beat my wife.

I didn't feel that was out of place at all. Why do people think that during a crisis everyone is going to be lovey dovey and all work toward the greater good?

In post-apocalyptic stories it's never the mutants, zombies, environment, ect that's the main threat, it's human greed and treachery.
 
Rikyfree, are those spoiler tags hiding comic book spoilers? If so, can you please mark them accordingly so people (like myself) don't read them accidentally? Avoid comic book spoilers is in the damn title, there's a different thread for them specifically not to turn this one into a minefield for the people who are just watching the show (like myself, at least for the time being).
 
Lafiel said:
But argh @ the racist skinhead having a brother. They're both such annoying and awful characters. I sure hope they die soon.:/
Out of curiosity, why is the racist's brother so annoying to you?
Besides the very first moments, when he was told they abandoned his brother on a roof (which makes his reaction sort of understandable*), he seemed much more level-headed afterwards. He also seemed to know his brother is a moron.

*) and probably exaggerated intentionally by the writers to make him look very similar to his bro at first glance

Chorazin said:
I didn't feel that was out of place at all. Why do people think that during a crisis everyone is going to be lovey dovey and all work toward the greater good?

In post-apocalyptic stories it's never the mutants, zombies, environment, ect that's the main threat, it's human greed and treachery.
Agreed. Assholes are assholes, nothing is going to change that. Out of the characters shown thus far, some are and some (actually, most) are not. It doesn't matter which ones weren't in the comic originally, if anything the ratio here is a bit more balanced :p
 
Jocchan said:
Out of curiosity, why is the racist's brother so annoying to you?
Besides the very first moments, when he was told they abandoned his brother on a roof (which makes his reaction sort of understandable*), he seemed much more level-headed afterwards. He also seemed to know his brother is a moron.

*) and probably exaggerated intentionally by the writers to make him look very similar to his bro at first glance


Agreed. Assholes are assholes, nothing is going to change that. Out of the characters shown thus far, some are and some (actually, most) are not. It doesn't matter which ones weren't in the comic originally, if anything the ratio here is a bit more balanced :p

I kinda like the brother.
 
Alucrid said:
I kinda like the brother.
Dude has a badass crossbow, so he automatically gets my respect. Or, at least, the benefit of the doubt till he's fleshed out a bit more (unless he dies first).
 
IMO

3, 1, 2 in terms of episode quality.

Going to go ahead and review the first two episodes now, while I have some free time.

One interesting fact is that the first episode was directed by Frank Darabont, but each subsequent episode has a different director, which although won't be readily apparent, may answer some of the questions about pacing and stylistic differences. Overall I like this approach though, as it keeps things fresh, though I think more collaboration between the directors to maintain a smoother transition between episodes would be greatly appreciated by the audience.

Episode 1: Days Gone Bye

I really enjoyed the first episode. It set up the plot well with Rick in full uniform searching for gas alone before the grisly girl surprise, leading into the back story. There were plenty of amusing and foreshadowing moments before they dropped the apocalypse hammer as well. I didn't mind the slower pace because it felt right, and it was really immersive to see Rick exploring things on his own and waking up from the hospital in a devastated world was still awesome despite being a common zombie plot trope. I also thought the drama with the black family and Rick stumbling upon different scenes of horror and sorrow (old couple suicide house) mixed with rays of hope (him killing the woman zombie who crawled off, finding a horse still alive) were extremely well-executed.

I had a mental "holy shit" moment before laughing hysterically at the moment near the end where Rick turns the corner and comes face to face with that gargantuan crowd of zombies just standing there. :lol

The episode ends on a great cliffhanger and really sets up the series as a strong introduction.

Episode 2: Guts

We're right back where we left off in the last episode, with Rick in a tight spot for more than the obvious reasons. I thought the dialogue was pretty funny between him and Glenn. I really like Glenn's character. The episode's title really comes into play when you consider what Rick has to do to get himself out of trouble, and the action is fairly non-stop for most of the episode. It's quite a change from the pacing of the first and seems really uneven, even when you look at it isolated by itself.

There are a lot of action scenes where things are coming to a quick boil (the zombies breaking down the department store doors, Glenn and the fat bearded guy descending into the sewer tunnels) but then for no reason at all they are somehow put on hold or suspended for some quiet moment of dialogue (blondie getting the necklace for her sister, sewer scouting trip suddenly cut short cus there's a zombie on the other side of a grate. Wtf was the point of them going down there in the first place, in terms of episode development? If they wanted to rule out using that escape route that in the audience's mind, why have ms. city planning department black chick bring that obscure route up in the first place?).


My favorite parts are probably similar to everyone's (Rick giving his 'white meat / dark meat' speech and cuffing the Deliverance Nazi; disguising themselves as zombies (rick being a little too white knight in this scene IMO); Glen driving off in the DODGE CHALLENGER.

Overall pretty good, didn't really enjoy the scenes with the survivor camp but I suppose they were necessary to set up where the city group would head to next as well as the whole Shane Lori sex / surrogate father deal.

From an analysis standpoint, I think it is interesting the way Walking Dead have portrayed the zombies in the series. First off, the usual.

-Headshot to kill, anything else just maims. This supports the idea that brain function is what keeps them alive after death.

-They seem to be able to run as well as they can walk, depending on their state of decay, wounds and rigor. A realist approach.

-Furthermore, they seem to have a semblance of memory from their previous life (seen in the black family's mother). Again, cool but nothing new.

What I haven't seen a lot of and that I liked, was the disguise thing. I'm certain it has been done before but it was executed well and had the perfect balance of lunacy/gore as well as morally dark implications of the characters. It's just a bonus that it actually worked for awhile.

I don't expect the series to go too in-depth into the intricacies of the plague or why/how it happened seeing as the story is set up to be about the drama in the zombie apocalypse rather than about the apocalypse itself, in a Left4Dead-esque way, but it would be cool to further down the line for a scientific character to come into play, or at least have the survivors try and contemplate how things got that way.
 
Might want to take out the spoiler tags. If already broadcasted, you don't need to spoiler them. That, and it'll make your post easier to read. :D
 
Cornballer said:
Sepinwall liked this week's episode. I forgot we were getting the Kirkman installment this week.

Great! Sepinwall hasn't been all that enthused by this show, so it's nice to see him digging this upcoming episode.
 
OH FUCK!! I just realized the Futurama Holiday special is on tonight at 10, same time as walking dead. Normally I could just watch the encore of Walking Dead at 11 but the hour long Venture Brothers season finale is tonight to.

FUCKKKKK!!!
 
big ander said:
Which wasn't strong enough to cut cuffs.



Which is why he should have sawed through the hollow pipe that the cuffs were connected to.

COMIC SPOILER

Anyone else somewhat annoyed at the redneck cutting his hand off? It seems like it's gonna be less of an impact when Rick loses his hand now and people aren't gonna be as shocked. It just irks me a bit that this terrible made-up redneck character is stealing Rick and The Guv's thunder.
 
LocoMrPollock said:
Which is why he should have sawed through the hollow pipe that the cuffs were connected to.

COMIC SPOILER

Anyone else somewhat annoyed at the redneck cutting his hand off? It seems like it's gonna be less of an impact when Rick loses his hand now and people aren't gonna be as shocked. It just irks me a bit that this terrible made-up redneck character is stealing Rick and The Guv's thunder.

The pipe he was connected to wasn't hollow. It was part of the framing of the hollow pipe which seemed to be quite solid.
 
LocoMrPollock said:
Which is why he should have sawed through the hollow pipe that the cuffs were connected to.

COMIC SPOILER

Anyone else somewhat annoyed at the redneck cutting his hand off? It seems like it's gonna be less of an impact when Rick loses his hand now and people aren't gonna be as shocked. It just irks me a bit that this terrible made-up redneck character is stealing Rick and The Guv's thunder.
Unless (not really a comic book spoiler, just a name)
they change the story to make this man the Governor. I don't know how likely it is, but it's possible.
 
LocoMrPollock said:
Which is why he should have sawed through the hollow pipe that the cuffs were connected to.

COMIC SPOILER

Assuming that even happens at all.

They've made some pretty significant changes thus far and we're not even through the 1st season...there's no telling whether or not that will happen now.
 
BertramCooper said:
Anybody else watching From Dusk til Dawn on AMC?

They CGI'd the club sign and changed it from "Titty Twister" to "Kitty Twister." :lol

:lol do they also edit out Salma? because if they do...

Anyway, I always wished that film was just about Clooney and Tarontino trying to make it to Mexico without the vampire stuff. Would've been much better.
 
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